As the functionality of mobile devices grows at an increasing rate, configuring and maintaining the services and features on the mobile devices becomes a complex and time-consuming task. For instance, enabling Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), CDMA, and data connectivity requires the configuration of multiple settings. Even with the limited features that are currently available, some users do not know how to configure their mobile devices.
Another use case is OTA provisioning and management of new services to mobile devices. Advanced mobile services such as browsing, multimedia messaging, mobile e-mail and calendar synchronization require accurate mobile device settings. The process of remotely managing device settings and applications is referred to as Device Management.
OTA management is defined in the 3GPP2 OTASP/OTAPA, OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) Device Management (OMA DM), and 3GPP2 IOTA-DM standards (IOTA-DM stands for “IP based over-the-air device management”).
There are also currently non-Internet Protocol-based techniques for remotely managing mobile devices. For example, the IS-683 standard (TIA/EIA-683-C, Over-the-Air Service Provisioning of Mobile Stations in Spread Spectrum Systems, March, 2003) defines a protocol that employs air-interface signaling for remotely managing mobile stations. Another example of the use of non-IP protocols includes the use of proprietary Short Message Service (SMS) based protocols.
Device Management is intended to aid the widespread adoption of mobile services, as it provides a mechanism for users to easily subscribe to new services. For network operators this enables a fast and easy way to introduce new services and manage provisioned services, by dynamically adjusting to changes and ensuring a certain level of quality of service.
In June 2003 the OMA released the OMA Device Management (OMA DM) version 1.1.2 standard based on SyncML DM (Synchronization markup language device management). Reference in this regard may be had to: OMA SyncML HTTP Binding, Version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; OMA SyncML OBEX Binding, version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; OMA SyncML Device Management Protocol, version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003. http://www.openmobilealliance.org/release_program/enabler_releases.html; OMA SyncML Representation Protocol, Device Management usage, version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; OMA SyncML Device Management Bootstrap, version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; OMA SyncML DM DDF DTD (SyncML_dm_ddf_v111—20021002.dtd), version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; OMA SyncML Device Management Tree and Descriptions, version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; OMA SyncML Device Management Notification Initiated Session, version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; OMA SyncML Device Management Security, version 1.1.2, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003; and OMA SyncML WSP Binding, version 1.1.1, OMA, Jun. 12, 2003.
OMA DM provides an integrated and extensible framework for the OTA management needs of 3G mobile devices and beyond. The standard includes the OMA DM protocol specification, which is based on the SyncML DM protocol. The protocol is optimized for OTA management, wherein a basic consideration is related to the resource and bandwidth limitations of mobile devices.
OMA DM, as a mechanism, is very versatile and can be used to manage different types of data objects. Some of the data objects are simple numeric or textual parameters, while others are binary in nature. Numeric objects may include connectivity parameters, such as access point addresses and proxy configurations. Binary objects may include security keys, blocks of data or software modules.
The protocol leverages the WAP 2.0 bootstrap for initial provisioning, and the set of DM protocol specifications for continuous management after the initial provisioning.
Currently, there is no unified way of managing mobile services over-the-air. What is needed, but was not available prior to this invention, is an integrated method for network service providers to manage mobile devices and services using a single mechanism. The currently available different standards for OTA management, such as OMA DM, IOTA-HCM, IS-683, proprietary OTA, OTA Teleservices, and so forth, do not fulfill this need in a satisfactory manner.